Tips for a Successful Training Workshop
Pre-Workshop Planning
Clear Objectives
Setting clear objectives is fundamental to the success of any training workshop, as it provides a focused direction for both the organisers and participants. Clear objectives help in designing the content and structure of the workshop, ensuring that every activity and discussion aligns with the intended outcomes. Investing time in articulating specific, measurable, and achievable objectives is crucial for delivering a training workshop that truly meets your goals.
Choose the right venue
Choosing the right venue is crucial for the success of your training workshop, as it directly impacts both the learning experience and overall satisfaction of your participants. Once you have defined your objectives you’ll need to understand your participants’ needs, which will help you create a list of ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice-to-haves’ for the venue.
For instance, good tech is likely to be a non-negotiable so ensuring the venue is equipped with reliable AV technology, high-speed Wi-Fi, and adequate power outlets to support your training activities is essential.
Additionally, consider the availability of additional facilities. Depending on the duration and nature of your workshop, you might need on-site accommodation to offer convenience and comfort to participants, especially if they are travelling from afar. Breakout rooms, dining options, and leisure facilities can also enhance the training experience, making these features valuable ‘nice-to-haves’ that can elevate your training programme from standard to exceptional.
Plan the Agenda
Having a clear agenda for your participants and for your trainers will be important, especially for larger training courses. An agenda for yourself and your participants are just as important for small training courses, helping participants to understand the layout of the day and feel comfortable so they know what to expect.
It’s also key to include a welcome and orientation portion of the agenda so that your trainees can get to know each other, particularly if the training course will last longer than a day. Icebreakers and a little bit of general chit-chat. This will help your participants to feel comfortable and get the most out of their training course if they understand the plan for the course and what will be happening throughout their time with you.
If you’re hosting a larger training course, even providing a ‘what to expect’ before attending the training day or a map to help them be comfortable in the area can also be very beneficial for those that have never attended before and are feeling a little overwhelmed with what to expect.
Invite and confirm participants
Knowing how many tickets you’ll be selling or how many trainees will be attending your course is very important for planning your training workshop. Offering multiple dates or location options can help participants get the most out of your training course and will ensure you can then speak to each participant to know what they need for the event, helping you to confirm ‘nice-to-haves’ and ‘must-haves’ that we discussed earlier.
Knowing who your participants are and what’s important to them will also help considering their needs, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to events, Sedgebrook Hall are proud to be part of Lime Venue Portfolio who are helping to make events small and large accessible to all. You can find their Neurodiversity Toolkit here to help with event planning.
Post Workshop
Collect feedback
Collecting feedback after your training workshop is essential for evaluating its success and making improvements for future sessions. Utilising surveys or feedback forms will allow you to gather valuable insights from participants about what aspects of the workshop were helpful, which areas fell short, and if there were any areas of the training that weren’t clear. Google Forms are free and can also provide anonymous feedback.
By asking participants to share their key takeaways, you can assess whether they align with the objectives you set out at the beginning of the workshop. This comparison helps you determine if your training effectively communicated the intended messages and met its goals. Feedback not only provides a measure of success but also offers actionable insights for refining your approach, ensuring that future workshops can continue to improve on the last.
Share Materials
Make sure to share the materials from your training course. Whether you choose to share them during the training workshop or after, providing additional resources as well as those used during the course will be important for ensuring the success of the workshop. Plus it will also help build trust and encourage past participants to spread the good news about your course.
Hosting a Training Workshop
By setting clear objectives, choosing the right venue, and preparing thoroughly, you lay the foundation for a productive and engaging event. At Sedgebrook Hall, we understand the importance of a good foundation for every event. Our modern facilities, flexible meeting spaces, and dedicated support team are here to ensure that your event runs smoothly from start to finish. Whether you are planning a small team session or a large-scale corporate training, Sedgebrook Hall offers the perfect environment to foster learning and development.
Contact us today to learn more about how Sedgebrook Hall can support your next training workshop, and take the first step towards a successful and impactful event.
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